By Catherine O’Hara, REVIEW STAFF

Waterdown sprinter Christian Brennan, who laid down record-breaking performances on the national and international stages last year, is one of three finalists for the Bill Sturrup Golden Horseshoe Athlete of the Year award.

“I’m really honoured because I’m only 16,” said Brennan of the nomination.

The young athlete, as well as baseball player John Axford and McMaster Marauder quarterback Kyle Quinlan, is in the running for the award, which will be presented on Thursday, March 1 at the annual CYO Celebrity Dinner.

Brennan, a St. Mary Catholic Secondary School student, shattered records she previously set in multiple events, including at the 2011 World Youth Championships in Lille, France and the Canadian National Track and Field Championships in Calgary, Alberta.

At the national event, Brennan captured a bronze medal in the 400-metre dash. Crossing the finishing line with a time of 52.49 seconds earned the Waterdown track star the Youth Canadian Record title.

Brennan also competed in the 200-metre dash and broke her own 2010 Youth Canadian Record by completing the race three-tenths of a second sooner.

Last July, she represented Canada at the World Youth Championships, where she earned second-place finishes in the 400- and 200-metre races, recording personal bests in both events. She also set a new Canadian Youth record time of 23.47 in the shorter distance race.

Competing on the medley relay team, Brennan and her Canadian partners raced to a third-place finish.

The Waterdown teen was the only Canadian athlete to earn an individual medal at the World Youth Championships.

Brennan’s record-setting performances earned her a spot on Team Canada at the Pan American Games in Guadalajara, Mexico, where she competed in the 400-metre and 4×100-metre relay races, finishing sixth and fifth, respectively.

Looking back on 2011, the Grade 11 St. Mary’s student said she’s proud of her achievements, especially attaining personal bests at numerous events and “having fun doing it, too.”

The 16-year-old looks forward to another set of contests in 2012, namely competing at the WorldJunior Championships and “if I play my cards right, hopefully the Olympics,” said Brennan of the 2012 Summer Games in London, England.

To purchase tickets to the 27th Annual CYO Children’s Fundraiser – Celebrity Dinner, which raises funds in support of children with special needs, contact Mel Leggat at 905-528-0011 ext. 3608, or email mel.leggat@cyo.on.ca. The event, set to begin at 5:30 p.m., will be held at the Hamilton Convention Centre, 1 Summer’s Lane.